Can I plug a wireless router into my UVERSE DVR to use as an access point?

Can I plug a wireless router into my UVERSE DVR to use as an access point?

I tried plugging in my Wireless Router (Cisco/Linksys WRT610N) into UVERSE DVR to use as an access point but it is not working properly. Sometimes it works great and I get a wireless connection with no loss in speed, but 90% of the time I can't even connect. It will show as an available network with full bars, but when I try to connect to that network it says no internet connection. It also negatively affects my original wireless connection from the UVERSE modem.

My Setup:

My UVERSE modem is located upstairs in my office and my office desktop has a wired connection to it. This is required because I work from home. Most of the house gets a good wireless connection from the UVERSE modem in my office but our family room downstairs does not and that is where our DVR is. This is why I want to connect my Linksys Router to the DVR. The plan was to have one wireless access point upstairs (using the UVERSE modem) and one wireless access point downstairs (using the Linksys router).

Is this even possible? If not, is there a better way (without moving my modem)?

I can provide my Linksys settings if it will help. I thought I'd find out if it's possible first.

Re: Can I plug a wireless router into my UVERSE DVR to use as an access point?

May I hazard a guess:

When it doesn't work is when you are recording or watching a live TV presentation on any of your TVs?

The mutlicast traffic that U-verse uses to distribute the IPTV signal wreaks havoc with wireless. Due to the one-way nature of multicast and the lack of a retry facility, wireless devices operate in turtle mode (slow and steady wins the race) to be sure it gets through.

Hooking up only wired devices back there is normally fine, but you need to segregate your IPTV traffic from your wireless traffic.

*The views and opinions expressed on this forum are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party.

*The views and opinions expressed on this forum are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party.

My original thought was to put the DVR and RG/Modem downstairs in the family/TV room, then use the existing coax in the house to feed the internet to any room I wanted via an HPNA adapter. Simple Right?

Wrong. The AT&T tech said they can't do that. I don't know if that meant it's not possibe, or that they just can't officially install it that way?

So this is what they did:

The outside internet line runs up the side of my house and into my attic through a vent. From the attic, they dropped that line and a COAX line down into my office closet. They then fed both lines through the closet wall into the office via side-by-side CAT5 and Coax wall jacks. The COAX line goes to a TV receiver, and the Cat5 line goes directly to the RG/Modem. The Cat5 jack has to go directly to the modem to get a connection. I can't use it as a live jack if the modem is elsewhere. (as far as I know)

The DVR is downstairs in the family room and connected via COAX. An an XBOX is also wired to the DVR. All other rooms are set up for future tv receivers via COAX. There is no clean way to run Cat5 from the downstairs family room to my upstairs office.

I don't know why the AT&T Techs didn't or couldn't use HPNA but I wanted to know if it's possible. After reading these forums it appears others are using it and is why i posted my followup question.

Now that the wiring is done, I'm just looking for a clean simple way to get a stronger wireless signal downstairs.

You can(although it is officially unsupported) connect Ethernet devices to the RJ45 jack on the back of your STB/DVR devices, using the STB as effectively an HPNA/Ethernet repeater. However, you do not want to put a wireless access point (WAP) or wireless router (WR) there.

The problem is that WAP/WR can not deal with the multicast IPTV traffic and will cause issues. PC's and other devices would likely ignore it without any real issue.

*The views and opinions expressed on this forum are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party.

You can(although it is officially unsupported) connect Ethernet devices to the RJ45 jack on the back of your STB/DVR devices, using the STB as effectively an HPNA/Ethernet repeater. However, you do not want to put a wireless access point (WAP) or wireless router (WR) there. - I do this now with XBOX. This works fine as long as you unplug the ethernet from the DVR/Receiver any time you need to reboot them. Wireless is the issue I'm trying to solve though.

The problem is that WAP/WR can not deal with the multicast IPTV traffic and will cause issues. PC's and other devices would likely ignore it without any real issue. - Agreed

You could try powerline adapters. -They originally tried a PlugLink Ethernet adapter in my office for the wired connection but the signal was not consistent enough. I still have it. I guess I could try the PlugLink downstairs and if I get a signal, try to plug a WAP/WR into it. It is not ideal though.

I would prefer the HPNA adapter method. I was really hoping to get solid confirmation here before going out and purchasing one however.

Re: Can I plug a wireless router into my UVERSE DVR to use as an access point?

While you could connect an HPNA adapter to your coax and connect a PC or XBOX to it, the same problem for your WAP/WR would still exist because the entire COAX network is one non-switched LAN and the multicast traffic appears on the entire LAN, i.e. it's not because you're hooking to the back of the STB, it's because you're getting the traffic off the STB's network.

*The views and opinions expressed on this forum are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party.

Re: Can I plug a wireless router into my UVERSE DVR to use as an access point?

You need another cat5 connection from RG to main floor to provide for WAP.Option 1, completely new wire following path to outside home down side and brought back in (hole drilled), installing wall plate and jack leaving quick discount for WAP to plug into.Option 2 similar concept but use existing cat5, currently only one of four pairs being used install RJ 45 plug using two pairs in cable, at NID connect these pairs to new cat5 wire, run new wire to desired main floor WAP location with recommended connection as before with jack, wall plate.

If not feeling comfortable doing this yourself may request a tech visit but normally billable for service call and wire run (no charge for jacks/wall plates/biscuits used), expect a charge around $155 for everything compared to your cost in providing material and time. Best to you in your decision.

Note once done could move RG to main floor and use Ethernet connection to feed upstairs PC, if request this from uverse considered a special move request and still billable as before biggest difference is RG on one pair from NID back feed to upstairs RJ 45 connections, if this is placed at primary DVD location could also connection dvr by Ethernet cable and use coax to back feed to additional Set top boxes. May find with moving RG to main floor if it is near central of home not need WAP, if dvr is not centrally located (that is far exterior wall) may need cable for WAP to be run to other side of home.

Employee Contributor*

*I am an AT&T employee and the postings on this site are my own and don't necessarily represent AT&T's position, strategies or opinions.

Re: Can I plug a wireless router into my UVERSE DVR to use as an access point?

I forgot to update this forum but I have solved the problem. To boost my WiFi signal downstairs, all I had to do was get another router/WAP (2Wire i38HG) and plug it into any (ANY) phone jack in the house. This is the same model that I have in my office. Nothing else was needed. That was it. that simple.

I had given up on the issue but luckily a service tech came out to my house to swap out a bad DVR. While he was here I mentioned my wifi situation and he figured this out in 2 minutes. He said that because I already had an "i38HG" router, all I needed was to add another.

The new DVR was free, the tech service was free, and the new router was free since he had extra one in his van.

The only frustrating part was not getting this solution in the first 5 minutes of my first call to AT&T tech support.

Next time I report an issue I will be sure to include the model numbers of all of my equipment. You would think teh details of my setup/equipment would be on record somewhere.

Re: Can I plug a wireless router into my UVERSE DVR to use as an access point?

Congrats on issue resolved, it would help listing your equipment when posting here as most including myself believed this was a standard install using the 3800 or 3801 RG and not an inid install. The inid offers solutions the normal does not, however I am under the impression that each i38hg is leased, if correct expect your monthly bill to go up another $6 per month so yes DVD and tech visit free no purchase price for i38 as leased (not free) but problem resolved without having to purchase your own device.

Employee Contributor*

*I am an AT&T employee and the postings on this site are my own and don't necessarily represent AT&T's position, strategies or opinions.